SEMA 2010

Here’s an idea for a marathon: Start in the north hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Walk every aisle of the SEMA show, which fills all three buildings as well as the space out front. The indoor exhibits alone stretch 26 miles end-to-end. Anything even remotely car-related is there, be it racks, tow hitches, camping equipment, wheels, tires, electronics, custom paint and custom cars.

Although SEMA is technically an aftermarket show, the manufacturers use the event as an opportunity to display concept cars they might not bring on the auto show circuit. While many of the cars are street rods, some are eco friendly, such as Honda’s CR-Z Hybrid customs.

Chevrolet Camaro Red Flash

Jeep uses the SEMA show to bring out some of its Mopar off-road trucks. Chevrolet runs the gamut, showing its hot Camaro Red Flash next to the Chevrolet Volt: an extended range electric car that rolls into dealerships this fall.

Following are some highlights from this year’s show:

Red hot Corvettes and Camaros from Chevrolet

Chevrolet’s booth featured four Camaro/Corvette concepts: the Camaro Red Flash, Camaro SSX Track Car, Corvette Z06X Track Car and Corvette Jake. Chevrolet is bringing the show to the street, with two new special edition Camaro production models for 2011.

Mopar customs for road and trail

Mopar is the custom division of Chrysler. This year, the Mopar Underground group worked with Mark Allen, head of design for the Jeep studio and Jeff Gale, head of chrysler’s advance design studio to create 35 show cars, ranging from the 2011 RedLine dodge Charger to the 2011 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Mopar Edition.

The 2011 RedLine Charger is lowered an inch over the stock version using a custom suspension. A cold air intake, headers and custom exhaust give the 5.7-0liter Hemi V-8 better breathing. Outside, a side scoop is reminiscent of the 1970 Charger. Red and black trim inside balances out the bright red exterior paint.

Jeep Mopar Immortal

Mopar modified the 2011 Wrangler with 35-inch all-terrain tires and special wheels. The front bumper includes integrated fog lamps for better visibility in bad weather. The rear bumper includes a tire carrier.

Five-liter Mustangs have had a devoted following for close to three decades. Ford displayed four custom GTs at SEMA. Mobsteel turbocharged the pony car and added a Magnaflor cat-back exhaust to help the engine breathe better. Raceskinz countered with an intercooled supercharger, cat-back exhaust and Baer brakes.

Honda displayed twelve modified 2011 CR-Z sport hybrid coupes at its SEMA booth, showing the tuner community possibilities for customizing the new model.

Among the show cars was a CR-Z equipped with a custom Mugen accessory kit, which includes a full body kit, grille, rear spoiler, 17-inch aluminum wheels, custom shift knob and billet aluminum oil cap. Mugen is producing limiting production of the package to 300 units.

Honda’s CR-Z Hybrid R concept adds custom street styling, while the HPD CR-Z Racer was developed to race at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race in December. The race car has a turbocharger and upgraded hybrid system upgrading the powerplant to 200 horsepower with 175 lbs.-ft. of torque.

New Audi Wireless Charger

Audi Wireless Charger

Audi unveiled a new wireless charger, developed in collaboration with qualcomm Incorporated and peiker. The device is powered by a single connection and charges a variety of devices from cell phones to PDA, eliminating clutter around the driver. Digital displays on the audio system and phone indicate that the device is charging.

For more information about the 2010 SEMA show, visit the official web site.